THE SONG OF THE CAT
The cat sings of the virtue of modesty, and of the confidence of one who trusts in Hashem.
[Song 76] Cat (Ch. 5)
חָתוּל אוֹמֵר. אִם־תַּגְבִּיהַּ כַּנֶּשֶׁר וְאִם־בֵּין כּֽוֹכָבִים שִׂים קִנֶּךָ מִשָּׁם אוֹרִֽידְךָ נְאֻם־יְיָ׃ (עובדיה א ד)
וּכְשֶׁמַגִיעוֹ אוֹמֵר. אֶרְדּוֹף אוֹיְבַי וְאַשִּׂיגֵם וְלֹא־אָשׁוּב עַד־כַּלּוֹתָם׃ (תהלים יח לח)
The Cat is saying, “If you rise up like a vulture, and place your nest among the stars, from there I shall bring you down, says Hashem.”
And when the cat catches it, the cat says, “I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them, and I did not return until they were destroyed.”
Commentary
The cat is an adept hunter which, despite its small size, will pounce fiercely when
intent on its prey.
It sings the battle-cry of King David, whose noble intention in
destroying his nation’s enemies gave him the boldness and strength to succeed.
That cat’s confidence is bolstered by the merit of its characteristic modesty,
particularly evident through that which it performs its bodily functions out of
sight. We are taught that modesty in these matters is a winning merit in battle.
We, too, should do our best to keep our habitats clean from both physical and
spiritual obscenities, allowing Hashem to rest His Divine Presence upon us and
bless us. Only when we emulate the cat’s song can we leap at our goals with its
nimbleness.
LIVING WITH THE SONG
"ואשיגם אויבי ארדוף "is part of the victory song Dovid Hamelech sang to Hashem after he was saved from all of
his many enemies. A Jew who cleaves to his God has nothing to fear from. He can shelter under the wing of the
merciful Almighty who loves and protects him. In the name of Hashem he will do and succeed. If he loses battles
he does not give up hope, as he knows that he will eventually win the war. His battle-cry is a song to the Creator.
Inspirational commentary By Shmuel Ben-Tzion Kraines author of
The Song of Existence.